Aug 13, 2012

It's
a wonder that Mitt Romney has vowed to dismantle President Obama's healthcare
law. Why? Because Mr. Romney's own healthcare bill for Massachusetts, signed
into law in 2006, actually shares a number of key building blocks with The
Affordable Care Act, including:

Reforming the private health insurance marketplace

Giving individuals a choice between purchasing health
insurance and paying a penalty to offset their costs should they become
sick

Creating exchanges and providing financial assistance
for individuals who could not otherwise afford insurance

Relying on employer-sponsored insurance

Expanding Medicaid to cover more low-income individuals

In
2006, these much-needed commonsense reforms to our healthcare system were not
so controversial in the eyes of conservatives.

And
this approach works.

In
Massachusetts there is near universal coverage—only 1.9 percent of the
population remains uninsured—and over 411,000 individuals have enrolled in
health plans through the state’s exchange, the Connector. Since 2005 the
percentage of employers that offer insurance coverage has increased from 70
percent to 82.6 percent. Given these results, it’s not surprising that the law
remains wildly popular: Polls show that over 60 percent of the state’s
residents approve of the law, and only one-third oppose it.

Yet
in a reversal impressive even in the world of Washingtonian politics, Romney
has now joined the rest of the Republican Party in opposing the policies laid
out in “Obamacare”- the very same ones used in his own Romneycare. His attack
on the Affordable Care Act is now a cornerstone of his campaign for the
presidency.

only allow children to stay on their parents’ plan for
two years after they’re no longer claimed as a dependent or until they
turn 26, whichever comes sooner

follow the premium support plan put forth by
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), which will limit the
amount of the vouchers provided to beneficiaries, essentially costing new
beneficiaries more than $1,200 more by 2030 and more than $5,900 more by
2050

replace guaranteed federal funding with block grants to
states, which would shift costs to states, which are already under
enormous strain. According to the Congressional Budget Office, states
would be forced to reduce eligibility, benefits, or payments to health
care providers. More than 19 million Americans would lose coverage in 10
years

allow private plans to “cherry pick” healthier
seniors—driving up premiums for those who remain in traditional Medicare

likely cut Medicaid by more than $1.4 trillion over 10
years

To
see how Romney's current plan for healthcare will affect a woman throughout her
lifespan, go here.

America
needs to pay close attention to the specific plans Romney has in mind for our
country if he were to win the 2012 election. With Romney’s recent pick of Paul
Ryan as his running mate, it’s clear his view of how to “fix” America is to
wipe out middle-class protections like Medicare in order to ensure the 1% can
keep their tax cuts.

The
facts show that President Obama's actions while in office, as well as his plans
for the future, are what's best for working families and middle class America.

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